Posts Tagged ‘Frank Kozik’

“Sugar doesn’t come close, We’re making it with maltose…” Well, as I just had an impromptu Skype chat with Nik and The Goat of Exploited Cinema – both brethren fans of The Ramones – I was hepped to the band’s 1995 Steel Reserve beer commercials (that might’ve coincided with Frank Kozik doing some artwork for said business).

Three tracks in total and it was pretty funny giving them a spin. Check ’em out, make sure to check out Exploited Cinema’s official site here and on Facebookand while on the subject of Los Hermanos Ramone and beer:

Well, I found this great cracked.com article by David Wong via Frank Kozik, and I can only agree with the headline: 6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person. Now, harsh they certainly are, but it says something about today’s, ahem, stroke-job articles that floods printed media when you find a provocative (and quite funny!) piece such as this, well, refreshing. Good old-fashioned honesty. I hardly knew ye. Take this quote about actually honing a skill in order to find success (be it economical or just “getting the girl”):

Saying that you’re a nice guy is like a restaurant whose only selling point is that the food doesn’t make you sick. You’re like a new movie whose title is This Movie Is in English, and its tagline is “The actors are clearly visible.”

Now I certainly don’t agree with all the sentiments in it, but in all it was a great read and if nothing else you can go through it once and take whatever rings true with you. Personally I found the following quote regarding creativity and its critics dead on:

It’s incredibly comforting to know that as long as you don’t create anything in your life, then nobody can attack the thing you created.

It’s so much easier to just sit back and criticize other people’s creations. This movie is stupid. That couple’s kids are brats. That other couple’s relationship is a mess. That rich guy is shallow. This restaurant sucks. This Internet writer is an asshole. I’d better leave a mean comment demanding that the website fire him. See, I created something.

Oh, wait, did I forget to mention that part? Yeah, whatever you try to build or create — be it a poem, or a new skill, or a new relationship — you will find yourself immediately surrounded by non-creators who trash it. Maybe not to your face, but they’ll do it. Your drunk friends do not want you to get sober. Your fat friends do not want you to start a fitness regimen. Your jobless friends do not want to see you embark on a career.

Just remember, they’re only expressing their own fear, since trashing other people’s work is another excuse to do nothing. “Why should I create anything when the things other people create suck? I would totally have written a novel by now, but I’m going to wait for something good, I don’t want to write the next Twilight!” As long as they never produce anything, it will forever be perfect and beyond reproach. Or if they do produce something, they’ll make sure they do it with detached irony. They’ll make it intentionally bad to make it clear to everyone else that this isn’t their real effort. Their real effort would have been amazing. Not like the shit you made.

Well, as it is December 12th we’re halfway to X-Mas (though you yanks and Brits oddly enough celebrate it on the 25th) you might wanna finish up what shopping you’ve got left, and for some nice threads for the whole dang family my pal Courtney at The Lucky Mule is once again offering a cool 15% holiday discount on all his merchandise. Men’s wear, women’s wear, stuff for the kids etc – any fan of all things r&r will find something cool. And if you’re into collecting rock posters he’s also offering some awesome (and rare!) work by such greats as Frank Kozik, Mitch O’Connell and Alan Forbes.

I’ve already stated it before, this guy does quality work on quality t-shirts. This is not some cheap throw-away crap that’ll turn into a ball of yarn after one spin in the washer. He designed and printed the tour t-shirts when The Dialtones toured in the U.S. back in 2000 and I got mine at home and it still looks great. So check out his page at www.luckymule.com, click away and type in ‘HUMBUGGERY’ at the check out to receive the discount. And tell him I sent ya!

Well, it certainly looks like I’m gonna dust off my old novels by H.P. Lovecraft – lately everything seems to remind me of him. This photo was uploaded by Frank Kozik on his Facebook after he made a weekend trek to check out the author’s grave. I’d love to visit it one day! Read more about it at Find a Gravehere.